US1258857A - Vehicle. - Google Patents

Description

c. s. BEEBE.

VEHICLE.

. APPLICATION FILED APR. 30. I911. l,%,857. Patented Mar. 12, 1918. I

3 SHEETS-SHEET I- C. S. BEEBE.

VEHICLE.

I APPLICATION FILED APR-'30. 19H. 1 ,258,857. Patented Mar. 12,1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IIIII Tz-f IIIIIIHII'IIIIIIIHI C. S. BEEBE.

VEHICLE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 30. 1917.

Patented Mar. 12, 1918;

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- tartan ea CHARLES S. BEEBE, 0F RACINE WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO B. MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF BACINE, WISCONSIN, A CQRPOEATIOIN OF'WISCON SIN.

VEHICLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 12, 1918.

Application filed April 30, 1917. Serial No. 165,364.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES S. .BEEBE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Racine, in the county of Racine and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part thereof.

This invention relates to vehicles more particularly intended for the use of children and the object of the invention is to improve vehiclesin the manner to be hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to. the drawings which accompany this specification and form a part hereof, which drawings illustrate embodiments of this invention. and on which drawings the same parts are designated by the same reference characters wherever they may appear in each of the several views, Figure 1 is a side elevation of one construction of vehicle; Fig. 2 is atop plan view; Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view, and Fig. 4 is avertical, longitudinal section taken on the line'44 on Fig 2 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a somewhat difi'erent construction of vehicle and Fig. 6 is a plan view of the vehicle shown by Fi 5.

l teferring to the drawings, the vehicles are provided with rear wheels 1 and 2, front wheels 3 and 4, rear axle 5 and front axle 6, which may be of any suitable or preferred construction. The front and rear axles in of the spring members employed is immaterial. The reaches and thefspring members are united at points intermediate oftheir lengths in any suitable manner'as, for example, by th'e'pins 12 and 13, so that these members cross like the letter X, as clearly shown by Figs. 1, 4 and 5 of the drawings. In the construction illustrated by Figs. 1, 2,

3 and 4 of the drawings, a cart body 14 is supported by the rear end of the reach 7 and'the front ends of the spring members 5 and 9 above thepi .12- In the cons ruction shown by Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings, a seat 15. is supported by the rear end of the. reach 7 and the front ends of the spring members 10 and 11 above the pin 13. The reach may be made stiffer than the spring members, so that substantially all of the spring is obtained from the spring members as is shown by the construction illustrated by Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings, or the reach may be made thin enough so that it will afford some spring action as is shown by the construction illustrated by Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings. Flexing means 16 are provided between a reach and the spring members to transmit movements of the reach to the spring members atv a place between their points of support. The pointsof support referredv to are the rear axle and the pins 12 and 13, respectively. The flexing means illustrated are transverse members extending from one spring member toanother and it is immaterial whether they are secured to the reaches or to the spring members as far as their functions are concerned, but on the drawings they are illustrated as secured to the spring members. The spring members are secured tov the rear axle in any suitable manner as, for example, by clips 17 or a clip bar 18. The reach 7 in the construction illustrated by Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings is secured to the seat 15 in any suitable manncr,'as for example, by screws and the reach 7 in the construction illustrated by Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings is secured by abolt 19 to the cart body 14. The cart body 14 is illustrated as provided with sides 20 and 21, ends 22 and 23, transverse bottom pieces 24, 25, 26 and 27 and top end pieces 28, 29, and bottom boards 30. The

front ends of the spring members 8 and 9 95 b an inspection of Figs. 1 and 4 of the draw: 100

ings that, when the cart body 14 is supportinga weight, the upper ends of the reach 7 and the spring members 8 and 9 will be depressed, turning about the pin 12, and that the upper end of the reach 7 will contact 105 with the flexing means: 16 secured to the spring members 8 and '9 and that the flexing member 31 will contact with the reach 7, and the cart body, with its load, will be w re s p d bi erri s e e o rem: e 9

' and 6 of the drawings, the upper ends of the spring members 10 and 11, instead of being fastened directly to the seat 15, pass between retaining members 34 and 35, one of which is secured to the seat and the other of which is secured to the reach 7,

whereby a kind of hinged connection is provided for holding the upper ends of the spring members 10 and 11 in position. The spring members 10 and 11 curve downwardly and to the rear so that they are substantially horizontal over the rear axle 5 and afford foot-rests, so that the rider can stand upright on them, instead of sitting on the seat, or a passenger can be carried on them either standing, kneeling or sitting down.

'The frontend of the reach is connected with the handle 36 by a link 37. The handle is provided with an aperture 38 through which the link 37 can be passed, and the link has a longer prong at one end than at the other end, as clearly shown by Figs. 1, 4 and 5 of the drawings. A. metal wear plate '39, provided with an aperture to register with the aperture 38 in the handle, may be secured to the handle. The link 37 is engaged with a hole in the link iron 40, which is secured to the reach 7 and the end of the link with the shorter prong is passed through the aperture 38 in the handle and the combined footrest and brake 41 is hung on the forward end of the link 37. p

The combined foot-rest and brake 41 is preferably made from a piece of board and is provided with a notch 42, large enough to receive the handle 36. A smaller notch 43 is provided at the bottom of notch 42 and a metal plate 4 4 is secured to the bottom or rear of the foot-rest and brake with one edge in line with the bottom of the notch 42 and is provided with a hole, which registers with the small notch 43, for the link 37. The depth of the notch 42 is such that, when the handle 36 is thrown up and to the rear, as shown by Figs. 1, 2 and 5 of the drawings, the footrest and brake is pivoted or fulcrumed at a point between its front and rear edges so that it can be tilted up from the wheels, as shown by dotted lines on Fig. 1 of the drawings, or so that it can be tilted down in contact with the wheels to be used as a brake. The edge of the metal plate 44 serves as a fulcrum and the weight of the vehicle and its load will keep the foot rest and braks til ed p r m he h e b upon the front wheels to act as a brake as shown by the full lines on Fig. 1 of the drawings. ff a child is coasting with its feeton the foot-rest and brake 41, pressure exerted by the toes will apply the brake, and release of this pressure, or pressure exerted by the heels, will release the brake.

The aperture 38 in the handle 36 is located forward of, or above, the connection of the handle with the front axle 6, and the distance of this aperture from the front axle is preferably a little greater than the radii of the front wheels so that, when the handle is turned forward and used for drawing the vehicle, the foot-rest and brake 41 will hang down vertically in front of, and not touching, the front wheels.

in the construction illustrated by Figs. 5 and 6 of the drawings, the front axle 6 is made longer than. is required by the distance between the wheels of the vehicle, so that the outer ends of the axle can be used as foot-rests and for steering purposes.-

As the aperture 38 in the handle 36 isbeyond the circumferences of the front wheels, the front wheels can out under the .reach 7, when the handle is raised, so as to make shorter turns.

With the constructionillustrated by Figs. 1 to 4 of the drawings, it is preferred't o have the front wheels spaced apart at a 7 less distance than the width of the cart body 14 and the reach 7 short enough so that, when the handle 36 is turned forward and down, the front wheels will be under the front end of the body and the body will rest upon them, as shown by dotted lines on Fig. 4 of the drawings, whereby the body is supported without exerting pressure on the handle and whereby the body acts as a brake to prevent movement or movements of the vehicle. I

The handle 36 is prevented from swinging too far back either by the cart body 14 (see Fig. 1) or by the front end of the reach 7 (see Fig. 5-).

The link 37 is normally held so far back in the aperture 38 that the parts cannot be disassembled accidentally but, by holding the handle in a vertical positionand pressing the link 37 forward in the aperture 38, the foot-rest and brake 41 can be readily junhooked from the link.

The gear, composed of the reach 7 and the spring members 8 and 9, can be removed from the cart body 14 by removing the bolts 19, 32 and 33 and, by turning the reach 7 end for end upon the pin 12, the reach and spring members can be folded up so as to reduce the longitudinal length of the gear to the length of the cart body. The wheels an be re d f m the a l s nd all. t parts stowed in the cart body with the gear V, H v as a, cover, thus making a knocked down. pressure on its front part will force it down package or" the vehicle which can be shipped in this condition without an inclosing box or crate.

What is claimed is:

1. In a vehicle, the combination with a reach, of a spring member united thereto at a point intermediate of their lengths.

' 2. In a vehicle, the combination with a ber hooked onto said link on the oppositeside of the handle from the reach.

4. In a vehicle, the combination with the reach, front wheels and axle, of a handle connected with the axle and provided with an aperture therethrough at a point beyond the radius of the wheels, a link connected with the reach and passing through said ii pticrture, and a brake member hung on said 5. In a vehicle, the combination with a wheel, an axle and a handle connected with said axle, of a brake member supported by said handle, and means for tilting the brake member away from the wheel.

6. In a vehicle, the combination with a wheel and axle, of a handle connected with the axle, a brake member provided with a notch to receive the handle, and means to pivot the brake member to the handle at a point between the front and rear edges of the brake member.

7 In a vehicle, the combination with a reach, of spring members connected thereto, a flexing member located between the reach and the spring members, parts of the spring members being substantially horizontal to provide supports for a rider, and a seat.

In witness whereof I hereto affix my sig- I nature. 4

CHARLES S. BEEBE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents.

. Washington, D. G.

Images